The United States carried out a strike against Daesh militants in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria’s government, US President Donald Trump and the US military said on Thursday, claiming the group had been targeting Christians in the region.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The US Africa Command confirmed the operation took place in Sokoto state and killed multiple Daesh militants. The strike follows Trump’s warnings in late October that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria. He had previously threatened military action in response to what he described as the Nigerian government’s failure to protect Christian communities from violence. Reuters reported that US intelligence flights had been operating over large areas of Nigeria since late November.
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry said the strike was part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination against militant groups. “This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry said in a post on X.
A video released by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile being launched from a US warship. A US defense official said the strike specifically targeted multiple militants at known Daesh camps. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X thanking the Nigerian government for its cooperation, adding: “More to come…”
While the US has highlighted threats to Christians, Nigeria’s government emphasized that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians and noted that claims of religious persecution oversimplify the country’s complex security situation. The Nigerian authorities have agreed to work with the US to strengthen their forces against militants. Nigeria’s population is split, with Muslims primarily in the north and Christians mainly in the south.
The strike occurred on the same day police reported a suspected suicide bombing in northeastern Nigeria that killed at least five people and injured 35 others. The northeast region has long been affected by Islamist insurgency. In a Christmas message, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called for peace between individuals of differing religious beliefs. He said he remains committed to protecting Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence while upholding religious freedom.
Trump announced the strike from his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he spent the holiday and did not hold any public events. The operation follows a series of recent US airstrikes in Syria targeting dozens of Daesh positions after a suspected ISIS attack on US personnel there.
